The hard work is only just beginning for Jade Gresham as he chases his dream of playing AFL.
After a season that most under-18 footballers would have envied, the Northern Knights captain and midfielder knows he can’t slack off between now and draft day.
“I think I’ve ticked a few boxes so far,” Gresham, 18, said last week.
“I’m pretty happy with my season.
“It was pretty consistent but I still have a bit of work to do with the [AFL draft] combine coming up.
“I hope I test well there and I’ll keep training hard.
“We’ll train three nights a week at the Knights and on the other days, Tuesday and Thursday, I’ll do a bit of swimming and a bit of bike work and, hopefully, get fit.”
On Friday night, Gresham added the Northern Knights’ best and fairest award to the fast-growing collection of awards he has won for the year.
His fast start to the year was rewarded with the maximum 75 points available in the first five games and at that point he led by 35 votes from Michael Mattingly.
But after he missed four rounds because of Vic Metro commitments, Brayden Fiorini had cut his lead to just 13 votes by round 16.
But Gresham, whose junior club is South Morang, ensured victory by taking 29 of the 30 votes in the last two rounds to finish on 138.
Fiorini finished with 25 votes in the last two rounds to finish 17 behind. Michael Ercolano rounded out the top three.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming into tonight,” Gresham said following winning the award.
“I’m pretty happy to win best and fairest. I’m pretty stoked.”
It capped off a big week for Gresham, who won the TAC Cup coaches’ player of the year and finished equal second in the competition’s Morrish Medal vote.
“I was pretty happy to win the coaches’ award,” he said.
“I’m pretty rapt with that one.”
Earlier in the year, Gresham was selected in the All-Australian team following the national under-18 championships and was named Vic Metro’s best player.
“It was an honour to get all Australian honours and MVP, they are nice little things,” he said.
But it’s not only the coaches who have started to take notice, and Gresham is believed to be on the radar of several AFL clubs despite his relative lack of height at 177cm.
“A few have spoken to me and it’s a bit daunting at times but you start getting used to it,” he said.
Other award winners at the Knights’ best and fairest night included Matt Perry, for most improved, Kieran Malone, for most consistent, and Connor Dalgleish, for best defensive player.
